Composing Teacher-Research: A Prosaic History(SUNY series, Teacher Preparation and Development)

This story of a teacher's growth as a researcher in the classroom reflects the larger issues of the debate about this kind of research during the last decade.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments 1. A Pratitioner's Retrospective Introduction: The Picture Albums of a Prosaic History The Mantle of Research: Learning to Remove the Armor Learning New Ways: The Winks upon Winks upon Winks of Ethnography One Foot in Each World: What Kind of Researcher Am I Anyway? Fusing Horizons: Research With--Not Research On Pronouns as a Political Problem; Or What Do We mean when We Say "We"? Fusing Horizons: Connecting Literacy, Pedagogy, and Research Beyond Representational Research Can You Have Conclusions in a Postmodern Ethnography 2. Forming Literacy: Akemi's Story Introduction Forming Literacy: Akemi's Story (May 1987) Postscript: Reflections on Akemi's Story 3. Forming Literacy: Sarah's Story Introduction Forming Literacy: Sarah's Story (December 1988) Sarah in High School: The Struggle between Authoritative and Internally Persuasive Discourse Sarah in College: Authoritative Discourse Wins Out The Separation of Internally Persuasive and Authoritative Discourses Postscript: Reflections on Sarah's Story 4. Re-forming Literacy: High School Students Become Researchers Introduction Re-forming Literacy: High School Students Become Researchers (July 1988) Postscript: Reflections on "High School Students Become Researchers" 5. Re-forming Literacy: Researchers Write Together Introduction Re-forming Literacy: Researchers Write Together (June 1990) Cathy's Turn John's Turn Susan's Turn Cathy's Turn 6. A Postscript to Composing Teacher-Research: A Work in Progress Stock: "The Function of the Anecdote in Teacher Research" Schaafsma: Eating on the Street Lather: Getting Smart Common Threads The Emergent Case Study: A Work in Progress "The End of These Notes..." Appendix A: Akemi's Writing Sample Appendix B: Diery: Katy Appendix C: Motivational Forces Appendix D: What Fourth-Hour Students Write Appendix E: Characteristics of Writing Appendix F: Susan's Writing Appendix G: John's Writing Selected Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Cathy Fleischer is Associate Professor of English and Director of the Eastern Michigan Writing Project at Eastern Michigan University.

Review :
"This is a wonderful book, in part because it is very readable, accessible to multiple audiences without sacrificing theoretical/ideological integrity, and draws on an impressive list of interdisiplinary resources. It is 'theory as autobiography,' and an exciting example of teacher research that demonstrates problems/issues of representation, subjectivities. Fleischer provides one exciting example of passionate research!" - David Schaafsma, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Fleischer's unique contribution in the work is to reveal to practicing teachers how close at hand the problems for study are to them, how unfussy their methods of undertaking those studies may be and still be intellectually sound. She gives legitimacy to every-day insights. I believe her work will serve as a model for a repertoire of practices that teachers in schools may undertake. She makes complex theory accessible as gracefully as she makes students come alive on the pages of her book." - Patricia Lambert Stock, Michigan State University